The "noise" test is a dictation of English sentences recorded on tape with accompanying background white noise; it is used to evaluate English proficiency. This study describes a revision to increase test validity. Technical aspects of recording, syntactic comparability of test items, and data on revised instrument performance are discussed. (CHK)

Classroom teachers rated 291 schoolchildren, grades kindergarten through 6, on Conners' Teacher Rating Scale, developed for and used widely in drug studies in children. (Author)

Argues that Texas' dyslexia laws and practices are misguided, with children being routinely tested on instruments that have no demonstrated validity or reliability for educational assessment purposes. Suggests that few school districts actually have implemented either assessment or instructional intervention practices that can be defended, given…

This study involving 30 college students with learning disabilities and 30 students without learning disabilities (ages 18-30) compared results obtained on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised and the Kaufman Adolescent and Adult Intelligence Test. Results found no significant differences between the two groups or between tests.…

Explores the structure of interests across samples of employed U.S. racial-ethnic minority and nonminority adults drawn from over 38,000 individuals who participated in the 1994 revision of the Strong Interest Inventory (SII). Results suggest that the SII can be used to assess the interests of those from different racial-ethnic groups. (RJM)

Reports on two studies that explore assessment and treatment issues pertaining to suicidal student-clients. Results suggest that Suicide Status Form (SSF) items have good convergent validity and that differences exist between client and clinician pretreatment SSF ratings. Client pretreatment SSF ratings could accurately classify clients into…

A factor analysis of 332 university counseling center students responses to Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-1 validity scale items identified four major factors: minimizing, exaggerating, cynicism, and psychological distress. Discusses implications for the development and interpretation of tests used in college counseling centers. (RJM)

Examined Belsky's model of the determinants of parenting among 666 pairs of White mothers and adolescents and 510 pairs of White fathers and adolescents. Results indicate that, when parents reported higher perceived parenting competence, sons and daughters reported more parental monitoring and responsiveness and less parental psychological…

Suggests that "teaching stress" be conceptualized as one measure of student-teacher compatibility. Introduces the Index of Teaching Stress (ITS) which focuses on the stress experienced by a teacher interacting with a specific student rather than on more global aspects of teacher stress. Tests of the ITS indicate good factor validity.…

Reviews research on ability testing for adults with visual impairments, especially the tests used for vocational assessment and counseling. The verbal scales of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised were found to be widely accepted. The problems, however, with relying solely on verbal assessment are addressed, and the need for tests for…

A study involving 470 parents of children with developmental disabilities examined the psychometric properties of a five-item subcomponent (DEP5) of Factor 1, Parent and Family Problems, of the Friedrich Questionnaire on Resources and Stress. Results found the DEP5 to be a reliable and valid measure of depressive reactions. (Author/CR)

A study of 319 individuals with autism (ages 3-43) and 113 other subjects found that a single set of criteria, as operationalized by individually structured questions in the Autism Diagnostic Interview and Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised, was effective in differentiating autism from mental disabilities and language impairment. (Author/CR)

Examined validity of Strange Situation attachment classifications for infants with and without extensive child-care experience and the association of early child-care experience with attachment security. Found that infants were less likely to be secure when low maternal sensitivity was combined with poor quality child care, more than minimal…

A study of construct validity of the eight Quality of Effort scales resulting from the Community College Student Experiences Questionnaire in its 1990-94 administrations found the scales can be used to make valid and reliable inferences regarding students' efforts and involvement, and the validity is not conditional on vocational or transfer…

The Reiss Screen for Maladaptive Behavior was factor analyzed in 2 institutional samples and 1 community sample of persons with mental retardation (total n=353). Factor analysis revealed no strong justification for the instrument's seven scales. An alternative three-factor solution, comprising intrapersonal maladaptive behavior, psychotic…